


Uncensored Handholding

by xenonni



Category: Senki Zesshou Symphogear
Genre: F/F, Fluff, One Shot, Romance, Yuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-23 07:03:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23007610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xenonni/pseuds/xenonni
Summary: Kirika and Shirabe go out to eat with Chris, Miku, and Hibiki, but something's got Shirabe feeling pretty down. Kirika holds hands with Shirabe under the table to try and cheer her up, and it's super effective.
Relationships: Akatsuki Kirika/Tsukuyomi Shirabe
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	Uncensored Handholding

“So, what did you say they serve at this new place?” Kirika asked. “It must be pretty interesting if Chris-senpai is giving it such glowing reviews,” she teased. 

Chris lead the way, with Kirika and Shirabe trailing hand in hand. Miku and Hibiki were a half step behind them as well. Chris looked over her shoulder at the group, a confident grin on her face. “They have all sorts of things I’m sure you’ll like, just you wait and see! Leave it to me!” Chris beamed. Shirabe stared at Chris as if trying to extract more specifics on willpower alone, and Kirika gave Shirabe’s hand a playful squeeze. Shirabe had been... tense lately. And Kirika wasn’t quite sure what it was about. Every time Kirika brought it up, Shirabe dodged the question, or changed the topic, or just outright refused to answer. Kirika figured maybe Shirabe just needed some time. Or maybe Shirabe needed to be pinned down and tickled until she stopped sulking and started laughing. A good laugh usually helped to put Shirabe back in a good mood, as cool and level headed as she was most of the time. 

The thought of being tangled up with Shirabe after a tickle fight was tugging Kirika down the road to a pleasant daydream when she snapped back to the present. Right. Shirabe tense. Need to get to the bottom of it. Maybe a game of sorts? Shirabe could give a world champion a lesson in being competitive. That might be the key to luring her out of her funk. 

“It’s been kind of a while since we all went out like this, hasn’t it?” Miku asked to no one in particular. “It’s nice to have everyone together again, though it’s too bad Maria and Tsubasa couldn’t make it today... 

Hibiki nodded with a serious expression. “They’ve been working extra hard rehearsing lately, since the show’s next week. I hope they’re taking time to take care of themselves! It’s not good to put so much stress on yourself.” 

“Oh, I’m sure those two will be fine,” Chris interjected. “They might not like to show off about it, but they do a lot for each other to take the stress off, y’know?” 

Miku stifled a laugh, and Hibiki smiled, putting her finger to her lips. Kirika was able to overhear Miku whispering to Hibiki, just quiet enough that Chris couldn’t hear. “Oh, they do a lot more than take just the stress off...” Miku’s silent and mischievous smile was a sharp contrast to Hibiki’s sudden giggle, which did cause Chris to look over her shoulder. One quick glance at Hibiki and Miku’s expression was all she needed for a blush to start spreading across her cheeks. 

“N-not like that! You know what I mean! Geez, you two...” at Chris’s reaction, even Kirika felt herself stifling a laugh. Though, she noticed unhappily, Shirabe seemed to be unaffected by the humor. Not even a hint of a smile crossed Shirabe’s face as she stared at the ground ahead. Kirika gave Shirabe’s hand a light squeeze and a soft look of concern, and Shirabe squeezed back twice, almost mechanically. I’m fine, she signaled non-verbally. Kirika knew better. 

“Here we are, Wings N’ Things!” Chris announced, having recovered her composure. She proudly gestured towards a shop set into the row of buildings packed tightly together along the sidewalk. The storefront was a modest, American themed restaurant, with advertisements in the window showing off an assortment of grilled items, pastas, and chicken wings. All the kinds of things that Chris loved to munch on, so it was no surprise she would like the place. Chris held open the door and gestured for the group to enter ahead of her. Though she was clearly trying to restrain herself, excitement practically radiated off her in waves as each of the girls passed her into the establishment. The interior was dimly lit with ubiquitous, low hanging light bulbs which gave the place a warm, almost homey glow where light mingled with darkness. A waitress standing at the front took a quick count once everyone had passed through the door, and gestured behind her. “Right this way, please.” 

The waitress led them to a booth with room to seat six, and almost immediately Hibiki dove into the back, right up against the wall. She looked expectantly at Miku, patting the seat next to her, and Miku rolled her eyes playfully before sliding into the booth next to Hibiki. Hibiki grinned and pressed close against Miku despite having taken the wall seat, and Chris rolled her eyes in a decidedly less playful fashion. “C’mon, I can’t go anywhere with you two...” Chris muttered. 

Kirika looked to Shirabe, who was looking at the table as if just having noticed it. "Do you want the inside seat, or should I take it?” Kirika asked. Shirabe looked down at the floor a moment before wordlessly sliding into the booth, scooting up against the wall. She leaned against the wall looking somewhere between tired and dejected, and Chris looked to Kirika with a hint of concern. Is she okay? Chris mouthed. Kirika gave a little shrug before sitting down next to Shirabe. Chris looked about to crack a joke about her seating options, but decided against it and took the end seat next to Kirika. The waitress took drink orders, with Kirika choosing something for Shirabe, and then left while the girls looked at the menu. 

Miku and Hibiki took to quietly deliberating what to get, and Chris didn’t even look at the menu. Apparently, she knew exactly what she wanted. Shirabe stayed zoned out, until Kirika poked her in the cheek. Shirabe turned her head, looking slightly annoyed, and found Kirika staring directly at her from a few inches away. 

“Kiri. What are you doing?” Shirabe said softly. 

“Jiiii....” Kirika said quietly. 

Shirabe rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t work if you actually say it,” she muttered as she turned back to the wall. 

“Aren’t you going to order though? I gave a good guess on the drink, but I’m sure if you let me pick I’ll just get something I like instead...” she smiled, trailing off into the empty threat but Shirabe just shrugged. 

“I’m not really that hungry,” Shirabe said quietly. “Go ahead and pick whatever you like. Isn’t Chris paying anyways?” 

Kirika pulled back, feeling a little defeated at Shirabe’s persistent bad mood. She looked down at the menu, but had a hard time focusing with Shirabe’s gloom radiating from right next to her. After a few moments mulling it over in silence, Kirika turned back to Shirabe. “Shirabe, what do you think about—” 

Kirika cut off midsentence as she noticed the change in Shirabe’s posture. Rather than leaning dejectedly on the wall, there was a subtle tension to the way Shirabe was sitting, a certain intensity of expression that hadn’t been there a moment before. Before Kirika could quite place it though, she felt Shirabe’s hand tightening around her own beneath the table. Kirika had about to point out something on the menu, but Shirabe had caught her hand before she could. Shirabe firmly replaced Kirika's hand on Shirabe's mid-thigh where, Kirika realized, it had been just a moment before. 

"I think that’s great, Kiri.” Shirabe responded in the same dejected monotone. 

“You mean the--” 

“Yes, the menu.” Though her tone stayed as even as before, the sudden intensity in Shirabe’s eyes convinced Kirika it was best to swallow the rest of her question. Whether Shirabe meant the menu or the continued covert contact, it was probably best to keep quiet either way. “I think what you’re doing right now is great.” With her free hand Shirabe gestured casually to the menu, while simultaneously tightening her grip slightly on Kirika’s hand beneath the table. 

Shirabe’s skin was warm and smooth to the touch, with a slight sheen of perspiration from the warmth of the day outside. Kirika smiled nervously, but gave a light squeeze on Shirabe’s thigh in response, turning her gaze back to the menu as she did so. Shirabe had re-adopted her aura of gloom, but beneath the table there was a determination to hold on that Kirika couldn’t ignore. Whatever it was that was bothering Shirabe, if this was how Kirika could help then there was nothing different she would do. Not that she minded, it was nice sharing the physical contact with Shirabe like this. 

Shortly after everyone had made their decisions the waitress returned and took their orders. Kirika had limited success in getting more feedback from Shirabe than the occasional squeeze, despite attempts to get Shirabe to engage with the menu. Eventually Kirika was able to settle on something she felt had a reasonable chance of fitting Shirabe’s tastes. Miku and Hibiki had ordered a pasta bowl to share, and Chris had ordered a combination plate of barbeque and buffalo chicken wings. 

"Are you sure you don’t want to order something for yourself? Hibiki’s not exactly a sparing eater,” Chris remarked as the waitress scooped up the menus. 

“Oh, no, I’m not terribly hungry anyways, so I’m fine sharing.” Miku responded. 

“Hey now, that’s not fair! I can hold back when I want to,” Hibiki interjected. 

“Oh yeah? Like that time you remodeled one of the tallest mountains in the world with your fist? I forget what a master of restraint you are,” Chris teased. 

“No fair! You helped!” 

While Chris and Hibiki bantered back and forth, Kirika listened with half an ear until she noticed Shirabe changing her grip beneath the table. Shirabe slowly pressed her fingers between Kirika’s, interlacing their hands one digit at a time. Shirabe made a slight rubbing motion up and down her thigh, pulling Kirika’s hand along with hers. Shirabe stopped and waited a moment, then gave an impatient squeeze and repeated the motion. Kirika began turning her head to give Shirabe a quizzical look, but Shirabe firmly clenched her hand in response, almost painfully, and Kirika took the hint. Kirika moved her hand like Shirabe had done, now pulling Shirabe’s hand along with hers instead. Kirika could feel the tension easing up in Shirabe bit by bit. Starting with the relaxation of her grip, and then from the way that Shirabe leaned a little more relaxedly in the corner of the booth. Though Shirabe still had the same dour expression. 

“Well good news for you, I’m feeling generous today, so if you want to try any of the wings I ordered feel free. Fortunately, they’re easy to share.” Chris beamed, proud as always to provide for her friends however she could. 

“Generous of you, to be sure,” Hibiki nodded approvingly. “I will treasure this opportunity! Thank you very much!” she clapped her hands together and bowed her head in a gesture of mock seriousness to Chris. 

“Aw geez, it’s the least I can do for such great friends,” she said, squeaking out the last word with a bit of a blush. Hibiki reached her hands across the table and grabbed at one of Chris’s. 

“Of course! Friends til’ the end, and then some! As long as I can hold your hand Chris, I promise we’ll always be friends!” Hibiki beamed. Miku poked at Hibiki silently and offered her hand. Which Hibiki retracted one of her hands to take, with obvious delight. 

“I like it when I get to hold your hand too, Miku!” Hibiki smiled. 

“I know,” was all Miku said as she returned Hibiki’s earnest smile with one of her own. 

Chris’s blush reddened slightly. “Geez you two, I can’t go anywhere with you in public...” 

As Kirika continued to caress Shirabe’s thigh, she couldn’t help but smile at the irony of Chris’s embarrassment at the public handholding display. Even Shirabe’s mood seemed to improve slightly, even if by the tiniest increment. The corners of her eyes tilted up the barest hint of a smirk, which she was careful to keep from her lips. 

“Here are your orders,” the waitress said as she walked up carrying a platter. She pulled the plates off one by one and set them on the table in front of everyone, and Hibiki could scarcely say “Thanks for the food!” as she dug into the food before all the plates had even been served. 

With one hand each, Kirika and Shirabe made relatively slow progress on their respective meals, but the rest of the table didn’t seem to notice. Hibiki was busy devouring her ‘shared’ dish with Miku, who would occasionally have to remind Hibiki to slow down so that Miku could get a bite or two in of her own. Chris’s face was in short order covered in stains of both types of sauce, and in characteristic fashion she seemed completely oblivious to the fact as her napkin remained untouched. Eventually Miku changed strategies and resorted to having Hibiki just feed her a bite every now and then, which Hibiki enjoyed all too much for Chris’s liking. Hibiki smiled in a way that might have been apologetic, but she didn’t stop regardless. 

Kirika felt a bump against her shoulder, and looked down to see Shirabe’s head against her side. Kirika had kept up the small movements, which appeared to be having an effect as Shirabe snuggled a little closer to Kirika in the booth. Shirabe felt bad she couldn’t do more, but this was the best she’d gotten out of Shirabe in days. 

And Shirabe certainly seemed to be enjoying it, if the way she kept encouraging Kirika’s fingers to move up and down was any indication. Every now and then Shirabe would grip a little tighter and move Kirika’s hand a little this way, a little that, sometimes lower towards her knees, and sometimes higher towards her hips. In fact, Shirabe seemed totally engrossed in trying to soak up all of Kirika’s physical attention. Shirabe set down her utensils to place her other hand on top of Kirika’s, where she pressed down to stop the movement. Kirika felt Shirabe shift her weight, crossing her legs so that their hands were pressed in between Shirabe’s thighs for a moment. Shirabe relished the moment as a little wave of enjoyment rippled through the muscles on the underside of her over crossed leg. She held it that way for a moment, before uncrossing her legs leaning into the back of the booth seat. 

After picking up her utensils again, Shirabe started moving Kirika’s interlaced hand again under the table. The motion wasn’t back and forth this time. A steady creeping down Shirabe’s leg for a moment, and then a reversal, pushing Kirika’s hand slowly farther up to the edges of her skirt. She tentatively stopped there, lightening her touch, as if to pull away. Kirika’s hand stopped there, unsure of her instructions for a moment. Kirika started moving her hand down Shirabe’s leg to imitate the beginning of the motion, but Shirabe’s grip tightened again. Instead of moving down Shirabe pushed Kirika’s hand a little farther up her skirt, almost impatiently. Kirika obliged, reversing directions and moving her hand ever so slowly towards Shirabe’s inner thighs as her hand slid up Shirabe’s skirt one digit at a time. 

Kirika could feel a bit of a blush herself, and did her best to focus on her food, but the way Shirabe was acting reminded Kirika a lot more of when they were alone together in their room than out eating with friends. Kirika spared a quick glance in Shirabe’s direction, and saw that despite her continued carefully blank expression there was a hint of warmth in her cheeks as well. The thought of Shirabe enjoying her touch made Kirika feel simultaneously happy that Shirabe was pulling out of her bad mood, and excited in her own right for the contact they shared. 

Kirika’s hand was stopped by Shirabe pressing her thighs together once it had slid well up Shirabe’s skirt. Kirika had felt her heart beating faster with every inch her hand had moved, but the sudden stop didn’t cause her own excitement to slow down. Kirika gave Shirabe a light squeeze, causing her to move a little closer in the booth. 

“Feeling any better?” Kirika asked quietly. 

“N-not really,” Shirabe whispered back, looking away as she did so. In an obvious contrast, she rubbed her thighs together almost nervously before opening up her legs again to allow Kirika’s hand to wander. 

Guess you won’t mind if I do this then, Kirika thought as she slid her hand farther up Shirabe’s lap. Kirika’s fingers brushed playfully against where Shirabe’s leg met her hips, expecting to find the smooth fabric of her underwear. She almost choked on the bite she had in her mouth when she found skin instead of silk. Shirabe was definitely blushing now, which somehow made her determinedly neutral expression even more cute. Kirika suppressed the urge to dig into Shirabe with her fingers right then and there. She slowly walked herself back from the temptation, promising herself she would get an explanation out of Shirabe first thing when they were alone. 

Kirika kept her hand up Shirabe’s skirt for the rest of the meal, making subtle movements or teases to try and provoke a reaction from Shirabe. She enjoyed watching her girlfriend feel something other than the oppressive gloom that Shirabe had been carrying around for the past few days. And though Shirabe continued to pretend there was no effect, it was clear from her physical reactions that the excitement was setting in and piling up. 

Once they had all finished their food, Kirika reluctantly withdrew her hand as the group began to clear out of the booth. Shirabe’s hand quickly found her own, fingers interlacing in an almost desperate deadlock. Kirika could practically feel the excitement from the way that Shirabe’s hand pressed into hers. She was definitely looking forward to getting home as quickly as possible. 

Shirabe gave two light, quick squeezes. I’m fine, she signaled. And this time Kirika was more inclined to believe her. 

It wasn’t until the group was more than halfway back to Lydian that Chris picked up on Shirabe’s improved mood. 

“So, guess all that hand holding you two were doing under the table finally pulled you out of your mood, huh Shirabe?” Even as Chris attempted to tease them, her own cheeks were tinged a light shade of crimson. 

Wait. Did she know? There’s no way Chris wouldn’t have said anything the whole time, Kirika thought to herself anxiously. She was about to say something back when Shirabe responded. 

“Yes. Somehow this dummy touching me has gotten me out of a bad mood and into a much more... expectant one.” She looked up at Kirika as she said this, and finally the slightest hint of a smile peeked out from behind her mask. “She has a lot to answer for, holding hands with me like that.” Shirabe said it evenly, with only the barest emphasis on ‘holding hands’, but Kirika could see the mountain of desire piled behind Shirabe’s eyes. There was no mistaking that almost predatory glint in her eyes; it would be a tough tickle fight indeed, and it certainly wouldn’t stop there. The thought in front of all their friends made Kirika blush. 

“Geez, you two! Do those things at home!” Chris had gone full beet red, and turned away as soon as she caught the barest hint of inuendo from Shirabe. She started walking at a quicker pace. “I-I’ve got studying I need to get to, quit walking so slow!” She didn’t turn back as she hollered half over her shoulder. 

Miku giggled. “Don’t have too much fun you two, it may be the weekend but I’m sure you both have lots of studying to do.” 

“Miku’s right,” Hibiki added. “You have to study more than just each other if you want to get good grades on your upcoming tests!” 

The two were snickering together at the tag teamed effort, and both Shirabe and Kirika were starting to show some serious red on their cheeks. 

Once they had all gotten back to the academy and split up to go to their respective rooms, Kirika and Shirabe were finally approaching being alone with each other. Once the others were out of sight Shirabe practically dragged Kirika to the door, which she quickly pushed Kirika through before coming in and closing it behind her. As Kirika tried to regain her balance she heard the click of the deadbolt sliding into place, followed by the Shirabe flicking off the lights. Kirika was stunned by the momentary darkness before Shirabe barreled into her chest, knocking Kirika to the carpeted floor. A dazed moment later, Shirabe was sitting firmly on her chest, her skirt splayed out so that the edge of it was over Kirika’s nose. She couldn’t see Shirabe’s expression well in the low light, but she had a pretty good idea of how this was going to go. 

And for once, she didn’t mind losing the tickle fight even a bit.


End file.
